Counter



Oct. 24, 1944. J. ADELL.

COUNTER Filed Jan. 21, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. ADELL Oct. 24, 1944.

COUNTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 21 1941 Patented Oct. 24, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COUNTER John Adell, Orange, Mass.

Application January 21, 1941, Serial No. 375,155I

10 Claims.

This invention relates to counter mechanisms, and its objects include the provision of an improved counter having a plurality of adjustable numbered wheels which are adapted to be set to any desired ligure, so that when a Zero reading on all wheels is reached, a feed means for the material measured is shut off, thus measuring the amount for which the wheels are set; the provision of improved and simplied mechanisms relating to the counter whereby an eicient but less expensive mechanism may be manufactured; and the provision of improved and simplied means for the Wheel adjustments, ratchets, and resetting shaft connections.

Other objects and advantages'of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a. plan view of a counter embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an end View taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a front view of the control ngers and their support;

Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are detail views of the driving gearing;

Fig. 8 is a section thru the control linger support, and illustrates the position upon compietion of a count;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of a counting wheel unit, showing the parts separated but mounted on the resetting shaft;

Fig. 10 is a section thru a counting wheel unit;

Figs. 11 to 14, inclusive, are detail views of the wheel unit parts taken in the directions shown by the corresponding arrows Il to I4 in Fig. 9;

Fig. l is a side View of the bushing disc;

Fig. 16 is a front view of the bushing disc looking in the direction of arrow I6 in Fig. 15;

Fig. 17 is an elevational view of the resetting shaft; and

Fig. 18 is a section on line I8-I8 of Fig. 17.

The counter mechanism is mounted in the usual casing I0 and is adapted to be operated by a shaft I2 from a measuring wheel I4 which is turned by the material to be measured. As here illustrated, four revolutions of the wheel I4 equals one yard and will advance unit A one digit. Units A, B, C, D, E are arranged so as to be related in ratios of l to 10, as will be described.

Adjacent its end remote from the wheel I4,

shaft I2 has secured thereto or integral therewith a pinion I6 in mesh with a relatively large gear I 8 loose on the counter wheel shaft 2B. Fixed to gear I8 and thus also loose on shaft 28 there is a small gear 22 in mesh with a large gear 24 loose on shaft I2. A small gear 26 is fast to gear 24 and meshes with gear 28 loose on shaft 20. These gears are so proportioned as to rotate gear 28 once for each sixteen turns o measuring wheel I4.

The counter wheel shaft 28 is journaled in the end walls of casing I0 and extends at one end to provide for a fixed wing nut 29 by which the shaft may be rotated to reset the wheels. A longitudinal groove is milled in shaft 20 and this groove has a flat non-radial bottom 30 and only one side wall as at 32, this wall being generally radial. The bottom 30 extends away from the Wall 32 and intersects the periphery of the shaft in the direction of rotation thereof to reset the counter wheels, see Figs. 17 and 18.

Referring now to Figs. l1 to 16, the counter wheel units will be described, each unit being exactly like the others, and comprising a gear 34 of the same diameter as gear 2B. Gear 34 is at the extreme right hand end of the unit, and is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed leaf springs 36 xedly set into the left face of the gear at 38 and extending generally outwardly as shown. The free ends of the springs are reversely and sharply bent as at 48 and thus form raised points 42 which are radially furthest separated from the shaft 20 of any part of the springs, and present a gradual and a sharp inoline at opposite sides of said points.

A bushing 44 provides a support for gear4 34 and in fact for all parts of the unit. This bushing fits slidably and rotatably on shaft 2U and is slotted as at 46. This slot passes all the Way thru the bushing adjacent its end at 48 but at the opposite end of the bushing the slot is not so deep and there is a small solid piece 50 which together with the slot walls forms a support for one end of a leaf spring 52. The spring is made to extend thru the slot at its free end at 48 and is extended into the interior of the bushing as shown in Fig. l5, being capable of being bent back to lie wholly Within the slot.

To one side of its longitudinal center the bushing has press tted or integral therewith a disc 54 having laterally and alternately extending projections 56, 58 at its periphery. These projections are made by radially slotting a plane disc and then bending the portions between slots alternately in opposite directions to positions at right angles to the disc. There are ten projections 56 and ten 58, and their outer surfaces form a bearing for a ring 60 such that the latter is adapted to rotate thereon. Ring 60 is numbered to 9 as indicated and forms the setting number wheel. Ring 60 has a notch 62 in its left hand face and this notch is entered by a lug 64 o-n a disc 66 so that the ring and this disc are always fixed. 0

Disc 66 is provided with a pair of diametrically opposite leaf springs 68 on its right hand face, these springs being exactly similar to springs 36 but reversed. The disc also has a peripheral notch 'l0 for a purpose to be described. The last element in the unit is indicated at 'l2 and this comprises a disc having a single notch of tooth form and a second disc xed thereto having a pair of teeth aligned with the notch to provide a notch 14 of double thickness. These discs are pinned together at 'i6 and have a key 18 to t slot 46, so that element 'l2 and disc 54 are fixed together.

The unit is shown assembled at Fig. l0, and it will be seen that springs 36 on gear 34 will engage at their points 42 between pairs of projections 56, and that springs 68 will in like manner engage between pairs of projections 58. The shapes of the springs are such that ring 60 and its fixed disc 66 can turn smoothly in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 14, i. e., downwardly in Fig. 9, but the sharp inclines at the ends of the springs prevent a reverse motion. Also, the bushing 44, element 12 fixed thereto, and ring 66 and disc 66 can be turned in the same direction without moving gear 34 because of the springs 36, but the gear cannot be turned forwardly and downwardly in Fig. 9 without turning the entire unit.

Spring 52 is adapted to snap down into the groove in the shaft 20, and when the nut 29 is turned down toward the observer in Fig. 1, the wall 32 of the groove will force the spring and all the units in the same direction, leaving the gears 34 unaffected. However, if the nut 29 be turned in the opposite direction, spring 52 will ride up out of the groove and will travel on the periphery of the shaft. This spring and groove construction permits each unit to be placed on shaft 20 very easily, i. e., by inserting the end of the shaft in the bushings from the right hand end as seen in Fig. 10. If the spring does not accidentally align with the groove, it will be merely pushed up in slot 46, and thus will not impede the entry of the shaft.

Referring now to Figs. 3, 4, and 8, there is shown a shaft 80 located at the rear of the casing, and this shaft has iixed thereto an outside lever 82 and an inside wide, short lever 84. The latter has a series of integral fingers 86 extending therefrom, and a spring 88 is coiled on shaft 8i) and arranged to constantly press lever 84 clockwise in Figs. 3 and 8. The fingers 88 ride on the peripheries of discs 66, and as long as notches 'l0 do not coincide, the fingers and hence levers 84 and 82 will be held in position as shown in Fig. 3.

However, at zero position of any one unit, its notch 'I0 will register with its corresponding nger, and when all units simultaneously arrive at Zero, the aligned notches will allow the lingers to enter (Fig. 8) and lever 82 will rise under inluence of spring 88. This motion can be easily arranged to actuate a power stop to stop the material feed by means of lever 82.

A shaft carries a plurality of small transfer pinions 92 of the usual design, the rst or right hand pinion being arranged to be actuated by a notched disc 94 corresponding to element 12, but havin-g four notches and fixed on gear 28. Hence as shaft I2 is rotated, the gear train operates to reduce the speed, and as each notch in disc 94 cornes into play with the aforementioned rst pinion, the unit A is turned one digit. Each ten turns of unit A turns unit B one digit, etc., as each element 'l2 is cooperatively arranged with a transfer pinion which will actuate the gear 34 of the next succeeding unit.

It will be clear from the above description that the rings or number wheels can be set merely by turning them directly manually in one direction, and if a certain number of yards or other units of material is to be measured, the wheels are easily set by tens to the desired number. At the instant the wheels all reach zero, that is, when the desired measurement has taken place, the feed is automatically stopped. Also, all the wheels can be reset, if desired or convenient, by the wheel shaft 26, without disturbing the gears.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to' be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

l. A counter comprising a shaft, a bushing on said shaft, a disc on said bushing, a plurality of alternate laterally and oppositely extending projections on said disc at its periphery, a numbered ring mounted rotatably on said projections as a bearing, a gear rotatably mounted on said bushing to one side ofsaid disc and having a ratchet connection with the adjacent projections whereby said disc may turn in one direction only relative to said gear, a second disc on said bushing at the opposite side of said disc and having a ratchet connection with the projections thereon adjacent to said second disc, the latter being Xed with respect to said ring, a toothed disc keyed to said bushing, and means to turn said gear.

2. A counter as recited in claim l wherein the ratchet between the second disc and the projections is so constructed as to enable said second disc to be turned oppositely to the relative motion of said gear and said first named disc.

3. A counter unit comprising a ring, means to adjustably mount said ring on said unit, said means comprising a disc having oppositely extending lateral projections, a gear having a humped free ended leaf spring, the hump being effective to be engaged directly with certain of said projections, a second disc having a free ended leaf spring directly engaging others of said projections opposite to said certain projections, said leaf springs being effective to themselves act as pawls in cooperation with the projections, the latter acting as a ratchet.

4. A counter as recited in claim 3 wherein said gear and second disc are arranged so that their springs are adapted to engage their corresponding projections from opposite sides of said first named disc, and wherein` both springs are humped for the purpose described.

5. A counter as recited in claim 3 wherein said springs engage their cooperating projections from opposite sides of said rst named disc, and extend oppositely so that the second disc and gear may relatively rotate only oppositely to each other.

6. A counter as recited in claim 3 wherein said springs extend oppositely and form uni-directional ratchet with their cooperating projections and pawl mechanisms.

7. A counter as recited in 'claim 3 wherein said second disc and said ring are fixed together.

8. A counter as recited in claim 3 wherein each ratchet comprises projections on the bushing and a spring, said spring being xed at one end, and reversely curved at its free end to provide the hump for engagement between sai projections.

9. A counter as recited in claim 3 wherein each ratchet comprises a series of spaced projections on said bushing and a spring, said spring being free-ended and xed at its opposite end, a relatively sharrp curve adjacent the free end of the spring providing the hump to engage inbetween pairs of projections of said series, said curve merging gradually and smooth- 1y into the body of the spring.

10. A counter as recited in claim 1 wherein said ratchet yconnections include leaf springs acting as pawls, said springs each having a free end and a hump just short of the free end, said humps being adapted to be received between adjacent projections extending to the side of the disc at which the spring is located.

J OI-IN ADELL. 

